6 May 2014

DIY Toddler Bow Headband

I've been feeling like my creativity has walked out the door with this pregnancy so far (um... for 30 weeks) and I haven't taken out my sewing machine too much at all. Well, the creative bug struck this morning and I was able to whip up this sweet little bow headband for Hazel! I loved this one and figured I could make my own. I couldn't find any tutorials online for it so I thought I would make my own, and pass it along to you! Im calling this the "Tea Party Bow Headband"

DIY 'Tea Party Bow Headband'

| 1 | Start by cutting your fabric 18" x 5", you can use any knit fabric you have on hand. I used Organic cotton jersey, which is a little on the 'thicker' side of jersey knits because I wanted the bow to hold up well.

I cut my fabric to 18 inches long because that is roughly the size of Hazel's head circumference. She has a small head so if you are making this for a toddler anywhere from 18 inches - 20 inches should be ok. I used a width of 5" because I knew that I would be folding it in half and I felt this was a good width for a toddler without being too wide on her head.

| 2 | Fold lengthwise (right *good* side in) and sew as close to the edge as you dare :) (best to use a ballpoint needle when sewing with knits)

| 3 | You will have a tube. Turn your tube inside out. Then sew ends together with seam in the middle (also pictured in photo 2)

| 4 | To make your bow cut a piece of fabric 4" long x 5" wide (you can use the same as I did or choose a different fabric all together which I think would be really cute too)

Fold right sides in and sew, just as you did the headband. Turn and arrange so the seams are in the middle.

| 6 | Place on top of your headband piece directly on top of the seam (this is so that the seam will not show in the end.

| 7 | Cut a small piece of fabric about 2.5 inches wide and 4 inches long. Sew with right sides together and turn. Place this piece seam side up over both the bow piece and the headband.

| 8 | Pinch together the layers of middle bow piece, bow, and top part of headband.

| 9 | Sew the middle bow piece together and cut off excess. Turn this piece so that the seam is now hidden inside. You may also want to secure it all together underneath the middle piece with some fabric glue. This will keep your bow from popping out from under the middle part and keep the entire bow from slipping around on the headband. You could also handstitch to tack the bow down but Im lazy so I just use this. Works like a charm (hot glue guns will also work in a pinch but tend to be more stiff)

And you're done!!

Hazel was keen to model her new headband and we set up a little tea party, which seemed pretty fitting for such a sweet little bow! She was also very happy to help me with the sewing too, as you'll see below! Such a big girl!

If you make the Tea Party Bow Headband please let me know! I would love to see pictures of your creations and your little girls in them! Don't forget to pin it if you like it!

Not sure if my last comment posted. So your tutorial says to cut the bow 4 inches by 5" and I did that and it seems like a very small bow {in the picture it looks large} so I cut it 14 inches by 5 inches and it looks better. So was that just a typo?

Hi Emily! Im so sorry! I didn't get your last comment! The bow is actually 4 inches long by 5 inches high, then you have to fold down the height so that its 2.5 inches high I guess this would actually be considered width... you can see on the picture above in Step 4 that on my cutting mat each square is one inch, so its 4 inches long by about 2 inches folded over. You then sew the length together as you did the headband and turn it. In Step 5 you take the tube after its turned and fold both ends to meet in the middle. I hope this is a bit more clear! I think I will update this to explain it a bit better. Sorry for the confusion! I would love to see a picture of your finished product!! happy Sewing!

Thank you. The bow just looks so much bigger when its on your little girls head. I will have to try it again. I just had regular jersey so it wasn't as stiff. I wanted to make matching ones for my 3 month old and her big sis. This is the one I finished. While I was pregnant with my second daughter earlier this year my hand me down sewing machine broke {right in the middle of baby crafting}! I finally got my new one, but haven't really had the time to be creative!

another quick question. After you turn the tube right side out (for the bow) and then you fold the ends to meet in the middle the bow would be about 2" long. But in picture number 6 your bow is still 4", and in picture #5 the piece your holding is much bigger than 4". If you are folding a 4" long piece so that the ends meet in the middle you end up with 2". I am so confused I am so sorry to pester you, but this is driving me crazy! Haha. Here is what my finished bow looks like after following those instructions. I have a 2" bow